Far from the madding crowd 远离尘嚣

‘I'm upset，Liddy，it's foolish of me，I know，’she said. ‘I wish I didn't have to go to the party. I haven't spoken to Mr Boldwood since the autumn，when I promised to see him at Christmas，so I'll have to go. My black silk dress，please. ’

‘Yes，I confess I'm cheerful tonight. But my happiness depends on a hope. Oak，my hands are shaking. Could you help me with the buttons on this coat？’And as Gabriel came forward to help，he went on feverishly，‘Oak，does a woman keep her promise to become engaged？You know women better than I do—tell me. ’

‘She never promised me that first time，so she's never broken her promise to me yet. I trust her to keep her word. But let's talk business for a moment，Oak. You work so hard as my farm manager that I want you to have a larger share of the profits. I know a little about your secret. You have warm feelings for her too，but you've let me succeed in courting her！I want to show you how grateful I am for that. ’

‘Say the words，my dear one，and I won't speak about it any more. A long engagement，then marriage—Oh Bathsheba！Promise yourself to me！’he begged wildly，forgetting his cool，businesslike manner. ‘I've loved you so much and for so long！’

‘Very well，’she said after a pause，‘I'll marry you six years from now if we're both alive and if my husband doesn't return. ’

“那好吧，”她停了一会儿后说道。“如果咱们两人六年以后都还活着，如果我丈夫到时没有回来，我就嫁给你。”

‘Then wear this ring for me. ’Boldwood took from his pocket a diamond engagement ring，and held it out to her.

“那你就把这个戒指戴上，”伯德伍德从衣兜里摸出一个订婚钻戒，举在她的面前。

‘No，no，I can't，I don't want anyone to know！’

“不行，不行，我不能戴，不能让任何人知道这事！”

‘Just wear it tonight，to please me！’Bathsheba could say no more，and weakly let him put it on her finger. He left her.

“就今天晚上戴一戴，只让我高兴一下！”芭丝谢芭不能再说什么，无力地让他给自己戴上了戒指。然后他便走开了。

In a few minutes she was calmer. She put on her cloak and went downstairs. She paused at the foot of the stairs. Bold-wood was standing near the fire，and he had just noticed that a group of villagers were whispering among themselves.

过了一会儿，她镇静一点了。她披上斗篷下了楼，先是在楼梯下停了停。伯德伍德站在炉边，刚刚注意到一群村民在一旁窃窃私语。

‘What's the matter，men？’he asked cheerfully. ‘Is any-body engaged or married，born or dead？Tell us the news，Tall. ’

“什么事啊，伙计们？”他兴高采烈地问道。“是不是有人订婚了，要么是结婚了？生孩子了还是有人去世了？给我们讲讲新鲜事吧，托尔。”

‘I wish somebody was dead，’replied Laban Tall in a whisper.

“我倒希望有人真的死了，”拉班·托尔低声答道。

‘What was that，Tall？’asked Boldwood. ‘Speak out，if you have anything to say. ’

“你说什么，托尔？”伯德伍德问道。大点声说出来。”

At that moment there was a knock on the front door. One of the men opened it. ‘A stranger wants to see Mrs Troy，’he said.

正在此时，前门传来敲门声。一个人去开了门。“有个陌生人要见托伊太太，”他说。

‘Ask him to come in，’said Boldwood.

“请他进来。”伯德伍德说。

The message was given，and Troy，wrapped up to his eyes in the cloak，stood in the doorway. Those who knew he was in the area recognized him immediately. Boldwood did not. He said，‘Come in，stranger，and have a Christmas drink with us！’

Troy entered，threw off his cloak and looked Boldwood in the face. But it was only when he laughed that Boldwood recognized the man who had destroyed his hope and happiness once and was about to do it again.

托伊进了门，脱掉斗篷，直视伯德伍德。但是，直到他哈哈大笑起来伯德伍德才认出了这个人，这个毁了他的希望和幸福，现在又要来毁他的人。

Troy turned to Bathsheba. She had dropped miserably on to the lowest stair. Her mouth was blue and dry，her eyes empty and staring. He said，‘Bathsheba，I've come here for you！’She did not reply. ‘Come home with me，do you hear！’He went towards her.

A strange，thin voice，full of despair，came from the fire-place. ‘Bathsheba，go with your husband！’said Boldwood.

壁炉边传来一个奇怪的细嗓音，充满了绝望：“芭丝谢芭，跟你丈夫走！”是伯德伍德在说话。

She did not move，and when Troy stretched out his hand to pull her towards him，she fell back with a quick，low scream.

她一动未动，托伊伸手去拉她时，她迅速发出一声低沉的叫声，向后倒去。

A second later there was a loud bang，and the hall was filled with smoke. At Bathsheba's cry，Boldwood's despair had turned to anger. From the wall above the fireplace he had taken a gun and shot Troy，who now lay very still. Boldwood turned the gun on himself，but was stopped by one of his men.